Whistle-valve.



PATENTED APR. 18, 1905.

P. L. WOLFE.

WHISTLE VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 15.1904.

2 SHBBTSSHEET 1.

M x 1-. w g M? w 1 x a No. 787,422. PATENTED APR. 18, 1905. F. L. WOLFE. WHISTLE VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.

2 SIIEETSSHEBT 2.

Ei'o. 7537, 122.

JfiTED STATES latented April is, 1905.

PATENT Qat r-ca,

BRA 34 n L.

TVULFE, OF MEDFQRD, lvlASSACHUSET'IS, ASSIGNOR TO CROSBY STEAM GAGE AND VALVE COMPANY, OF liOS'lON, MASSACHUSETTS, A FDRPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

WHISTLE-VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 787,422, dated April 18, 1905.

Application filed February 15, 1904. Serial No. 193,760.

To all whom if nuty concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK L. WOLFE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Medford, in the county of Middlesex and State of ivlassachusetts, have invented certain new and u u improvements in Hustle-Valves, oi wh the following is a specification.

My 'ention relates to whistle-valves; and its object is to provide means for easily, accurately, and at such intervals as may be desired operating such valves and securing their conformity to the requirement, when imposed, that they be adapted to sound according to a given code for signaling purposes.

it consists of an additional valve operated electrically, and is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, which show, with one or two modifications, tli'ejiw'histle-valvc pat ented by Lane, November l t," 1899, 'No. 636,907 f and my invention iilay be regarded as an im provement on that of Lane, though adaptable to any whistle-valve. it is illust'rated'by the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a central vertical section of a whistle-valve equipped with my improvemcn t. Fig. 2 is an elevation showing my improvement attached to the whistle' valve E. Fig. 3 is an end view of the improvement looking from the left. Fig, 4 is a similar view loolring from the righ Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 are detailed views of its several parts.

A is the whistle-bell.

B is the whistie-bowl, threaded at its base for attachment to the steam or any liuid reservoir and dividedinto two communicating chambers ii and B Seated in chamber B is the valve L operated by the piston 0, located in the laterally-projected cylinder 0, from which there are passages c to the open air and other passages c to the laterally-projected cylinder 1). In the chamber B is also seated the valve 2 1, with its stem operated by the lever E' against the action of the spring E, which. Lane fixes to a plug which he screws into the wall ct chamber B This is substantially Lanes device without my improvement, and

' its operation is, as described by Lane, as follows:

When the whistle-valve is attachedwto a steam-boiler, the steam from the boiler fills 5 the lower chamber B and by pressure upon the valves C and E holds them to their respective seats, the spring E assisting to hold the valve E to its seat. To sound the whistle, the operator pulls the lever E, thereby forc- S5 ing the valve E from its seat and allowing the steam to escape from chamber B into the cylinder D, thence through the passages into that part of the cylinder 0' above the piston 0. The pressure 0'!" the steam upon the piston c 60 being practically of the same degree as that of the steam in chamber B it follows that as the surface of the piston is greater than the surface of the valve (J this pressure will force the valve C from its seat and allow steam to S escape from chamber into chamber B, and thence upward through the Whistle-bowl B to the whistle-bell A f if the pressure by the lever E be removed, the valve E will return immediately-to its seat,,being forced thereto 7 by the steam-pressure in chamber 13*, assisted by the recoil of the spring E The steam remaining in the cylinder l), passages 0 and space above the piston c in cylinder 0' instantly dissipates through the passages a into the 75 open air, thus removingthe pressure from the piston c and allowing the valve 0 to be forced to its seat by the pressure of the steam in chamber B This cuts off the supply of steam to chamber B" and the whistle ceases to blow 30 or sound.

To operate the valve E electrically, l employ the following described mechanism: In the outer wall of chamber B" is lixed the cylinder F, which has a contracted inner endf', 5 a larger middle portion f" with passages f leading therefrom to chamber B and a much larger outer portion j, which constitutes the cylinder proper, with a passage f", leading therefrom to the chamber B In this cylin- 9 der is the balanced piston G, having the tubular-grooved stem 0, adapted to slideinto the middle portionj" of the cylinder F. This piston Gslides freely in the cylinder F, so thatsteam from chamber B -quickly surrou'rl'ds 535 it and it becomes balanced in said steam, ahd, when the pressure is removed L'rom the outer side of said piston by opening valve 1 the piston becomes unbalanced and-moves outward, opening valve E. The valve E is furnished with the valve-stem e, which passes through and is in sliding contact with the inner end f of the cylinder F and the piston stem g and piston G, and on its outer end is placed the nut 1;", held in place by the pin 0 On the valve-stem e is arranged the spring E confined by the valve E and a shoulder on the cylinder F. To the cylinder Fis screwed the bushing H, constituting the magnet-base and the outer end of the cylinder F, through which there is a passage normally closed by the valve I, held to its seat by the spring L, arranged on the valve-stem 2 which extends through said passage intothe chamber J and has fixed to its outer end the spring-head K.

Passages y'lead from the chamberJ to the open air. In the chamber J is an annular shoulder on which rests the diaphragm M, which rests also against the outer endof the valve-stem This diaphragm M is held against the shoulder by the threaded annulus'N, furnished with the lugs n n for convenience in rotating it. This annulus N may be locked in place byinserting a screw in the cut-out portions n of the annulus and bushing H, which are threaded for that purpose. Mounted upon the magnet-base is the magnet-shell 0, including the core 0, and surrounding this magnetshell O is the casing P, held in place by the stud 1) "and having the cap Q and theinsulator-box R affixed to it. Within the magnet-shell O is the electromagnet-spool S, whose terminals .9 s are connected in the insulator-box It with the cable S, which passes through the stufingbox S attached to said insulator-box. The armature T of the electromagnet carries'the stem U, which passes through the core 0 into the magnetbase and rests against the diap'hragm'M directly opposite the outer end of the valve-stem i. The outer side of the armature has afiixed to it the spring V, which is secured to the threaded bolt W, which engages the hub of the cap Q, being held in position by the lock-nut w.

The operation of my device is as follows: When the whistle-valve is attached to asteamboiler, the steam fills chamberB" and thence flows into cylinder F and presses equally on the inner andouter surfaces of pistonbr. (The steam from chamber B flows through passages f and surrounds the tubular-grooved piston-stem 9 (see Fig. 9) and escapes past the piston G into the cylinderf". The steam flows also-from chambenB through the passage f 4 and thence escapes past the piston G into the y cylinder f. The piston G, as described above,

slides freely in the cylinder F, and none of the bearings are steam-tight, thus permitting the steam to act as described. The valves E and l are seated. The springs E, L, and Vare inactive or normal. The valve-stem (2 has a very slight longitudinal play, so as to insure the seating of valve E. v The valve-stem '6, di-

cylinder F to the open air.

aphragm M, and armature-stem U are in contact. When the electric circuit is closed, the armature forces the valve 1 from its seat, compressing spring L and extending spring V and permitting the steam to escape from The balanced piston G is forced by the steam outward, there- Iby unseating the valve E and compressing the spring E -The whistle sounds, as above described. When the circuit opens, the springs recoil, forcing the valves to their seats and stopping the sound of the whisle, as above .described. 'The principal features of my invention are the diaphragmv Min combination with the armature-stem Uand the valve-stem i and the balanced piston G. The diaphragm being cemented in place prevents moisture from gettingmto' the electromagnet, while.

the balanced piston makes the valve E quickly responsive to pressureof steam or spring.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is I .1. In a Whistle-valve the cornblnation, w th the valve-chamber and valve seated therein,

of a cyiinder outwardly projected from said valve-chamber and having passages leading thereto; a balanced piston located in said cylinder and attached by a rod or stem to said valve; adiaphragm-chamber, outwardly pro jected from said cylinder, with exhaust-pas sages and with a passage leading to said cylinder; a diaphragm arranged as a packing in said chamber; a valve normally seated in said cylinder having a stem extending into said diaphragrmchamber and resting against said diaphragm; an electromagnet attached to said diaphragm-chamber and furnished with an armature-stem restingagainst said diaphragm at a point opposite said valve-stem; together with springs arranged on said piston-rod or stem, on said valve-stem, and above said armature; substantially as described.

2. Ina whistle-valve the combination, with the valve-chamber and valve seated therein, of an outwardly-projected cylinder with passages leading therefrom to said valve-chamher; a balanced piston located in said cylinder; an on twardly-projected disu hrae'm-chamher with exhaust-passages and with passage into said cylinder; a diaphragm arranged in said diaphragm-chambemh valve normally seated in said cylinder and closing said pas- TOC) sage from the diaphragm-chamber; and an electromagnet attached to said diaphragmchamber;.together with intermediate mechanism; substantially as described.

3. In a whistle-yalve the combination, with the valve-chamber and valve seated therein, of a cylinder and balanced piston, adiaphragmchamber connecting with said cylinder, a diaphragm, and an electromagnet, together with intermediate mechanism; substantially as described.

41 In a Whistle-valve the combination, with the valve-chamber B and val ve i seated the reiii of the cylinder F laterally projected therefrom, piston G located in said cylindenvalve i seated in said cylinder, chamber J commuii icating with the exhaust, diaphragm M arranged in said chamber J and an electromagnet arranged to actuate said valve I, together [with intermediate mechanism; substantially as described.

. 5. In a whistle-valve the combination, with the valve-chamber B and valve E seated therev in, of the cylinder F laterally projected from said chamber, piston G located in said cylin- W. L. VVILLIAMs,

ADOLPH L. ZATHMARY. 

